Curriculum Philosophy
The philosophy of Yorktown Christian Academy is based on the premise that man's ultimate purpose is to glorify God (I Corinthians 6:19, 20; 10:31). Yorktown Christian Academy exists to help each student to reach his full potential by guiding him in developing spiritually, morally, personally, socially, and academically (Luke 2:52). The faculty and staff recognize that only when a student accepts Christ as Savior and yields to His Lordship can he realize his own unique potential (Romans 10:10-13).
Education and learning are biblical imperatives (Deuteronomy 6:, 7; Proverbs 3:1-9); therefore all instruction at Yorktown Christian Academy is biblically based (Deuteronomy 4:2-9). The specific content grows from the following:
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- God's mandate at creation for mankind to have dominion over the earth (Genesis 1:1; 26-28), requiring learning in the areas of language, mathematics, the physical and natural sciences, technology, and the fine arts.
- the hostile environment resulting form the fall of man (Genesis 3:9-24), intensifying his need to understand more deeply all of the curricular areas, as well as the social and health related sciences and the study of God's written Word.
- the command for Christians to evangelize the lost and to disciple believers (Matthew 28:18-20), further elevating the need to master all of hte above areas.
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All subject areas are taught from a biblical perspective and correlate with state and national standards.
Testing Philosophy
SAT vs TAKS: Our testing philosophy
Q. Why do YCA students take the Stanford Achievement Test (SAT) and public school students take the Texas Assessment of Knowledges and Skills (TAKS) test?
A. The TAKS exam only tests to see if a student achieved the minimum standard (i.e.: 70%) at each grade level. It answers the question: Did the student master the basic skills of third grade, for example whereas the SAT determines advanced grade level understanding. Another shortcoming of the TAKS test is that it is given only in Texas, so any comparisons can only be drawn among students in one state.
The SAT, however, covers a wider scope of students and at a deeper level. It tests for the achievement of essential grade-level elements and beyond. And, it is a national test that yields benchmarks against students in other schools across the nation as well as Christian school students in ACSI (Association of Christian Schools International).
Q. Do middle and high school students use the Stanford Achievement Test for their college entrance exam?
A. No. Colleges are interested in a prospective student's Scholastic Achievement Test scores and that is a completely different test with the same (confusing!) SAT initials. Students entering seventh grade can take this test for a 'sneak preview' at how they will perform on the test as juniors in high school. The nationally-known Duke University Talent Identification Program uses this test to identify academically talented students who might enjoy innovative programs to optimize their educational development.
Q. What does YCA do with the SAT test results?
A. We track trends in student performance for each subject across the grade levels. We have over 10 years of data, which provides an excellent history for evaluating specific classes of students and trends in the school. While not the only parameter we use for evaluating our school programs, standardized tests do provide a useful metric for evaluating the end results of implementing new textbooks, classroom programs, teaching styles, etc.